School's Open, And Traffic Jams Up

Among traffic cops, the first week of school is notorious for its chaos.

"Everybody wants to take their child to school the first day. The crunch is unbelievable," said Sgt. Jake Saredy of the Cooper City Police Department.

"People park on swales, they park in the street. People don't speed through school zones the first week of school because they can't. It's gridlock."

The congestion is particularly bad in southwest Broward, where many schools have more students than they were built to handle.

"The first day was particularly hectic," said Chuck Febro, Miramar deputy police chief. "The second day was a little better, and it will get better as the week goes on."

Consequently, many police agencies have special traffic enforcement plans for the first one or two weeks of school.

-- The Miramar Police Department stations its community-oriented policing officers at the schools. It also keeps the officers from the midnight shifts on an extra hour or so in the morning for traffic control at the schools.

-- The Cooper City Police Department's motorcycle officers, who normally work staggered shifts, are temporarily assigned to day shifts so they can help move traffic quickly in and out of school zones.

-- Pembroke Pines did not have special plans for the first week of school, other than alerting traffic officers on shift that schools are open and asking them to help out if they see a jam. The city has school resource officers permanently stationed in most of the schools.

-- In Weston, deputies from the sheriff's substation are assigned to the two local elementary schools where they direct traffic for about an hour each morning. In addition, members of the bike patrol are assigned to the two schools, and a community service aide may be assigned.

The department also assigns radar units to patrol school zones, but speeding usually isn't as big a problem early in the school year because of the congestion.

"The schools out here are overcrowded and it ties up traffic a great deal for the first two weeks," said Lt. Dave Carry, of Weston's district Sheriff's Office. "It happens every year because there is such large growth out here."

Those who are caught and convicted of traveling more than 15 mph in a school zone anywhere in the county can expect to open their wallets.

The basic court fine is $52 - plus an extra $4.25 for each mile over the speed limit and at least three points on your driver's license.

To avoid accumulating points, drivers have the option of going to a four-hour driving school. But with driving school, there still is a basic fine of $57.64 - plus $3.89 for each mile over the speed limit, Broward County court officials said.